Scholarship to benefit students interested in animal science research

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- An alumnus of Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences will establish a scholarship endowment that will help students interested in animal science or veterinary research to cover their educational expenses.

Donald Carbaugh, of Fort Loudon, Pa., has included a $50,000 bequest in his estate plan that will be used to create the Donald E. Carbaugh Scholarship. The scholarship will be earmarked for students majoring in Animal Science or in Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, with first preference given to undergraduates who demonstrate an interest in research in these fields.

"I'm interested in the advancement of the knowledge of animal efficiency and diseases," Carbaugh said. "This endowment will not only help from a scientific standpoint, but will give deserving students the resources necessary to fund their education and get the hands-on experience that will further their careers in this field."

Carbaugh studied for two years at Penn State Mont Alto before transferring to the University Park campus, where he graduated in 1985 with a degree in Animal Production. As a student, he participated in the Block and Bridle club.

He currently is an animal scientist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service. He works in the USDA-ARS Bovine Functional Genomics Laboratory in Beltsville, Md.

In 2002, Carbaugh also created an endowment for the support and maintenance of the Penn State sheep flock, which consists of 75 Dorset and crossbred ewes. Housed at the Penn State Beef and Sheep Center, the flock is used to help teach breeding, feeding, management, welfare and merchandizing of quality livestock and to provide examples of livestock for selection and evaluation courses.

Carbaugh's gift will help the College of Agricultural Sciences to achieve the goals of For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students. This University-wide effort is directed toward a shared vision of Penn State as the most comprehensive, student-centered research university in America.

The University is engaging Penn State's alumni and friends as partners in achieving six key objectives: ensuring student access and opportunity, enhancing honors education, enriching the student experience, building faculty strength and capacity, fostering discovery and creativity, and sustaining the University's tradition of quality. The campaign's top priority is keeping a Penn State degree affordable for students and families. The For the Future campaign is the most ambitious effort of its kind in Penn State's history, with the goal of securing $2 billion by 2014.